Blooming Flowers, Floating Clouds
by FlittingThroughLeaves
Summary: In the present of a person, there is always a past. So this is the Guardians past, and the story of a girl named Emiko. "You know Emiko means shrimp girl right?" "So?" "That means you are an herbivore." "So?" The first conversation with Hibari Kyoya, age 3 and a half.
1. Chapter 1

**A.N. **So this is my first story here on fanfiction. The title is currently Blooming Flowers, Floating Clouds, as you currently know. If someone would like to be my beta that would be great. I'm sure I have spelling mistakes and grammar, my grammar has died in a hole. I'm not sure how quickly I will update, I guess it's how happy I am with this fic. All reviews will be much appreciated and if any one has any questions feel free to leave a review or PM me.

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any form or fashion, own Katekyo Hitman Reborn. I do however own Emiko and all persons related to Emiko, such as her 'Kaa-san Azumi. I also own Hibari Akiko.**

* * *

**Namimori, Japan**

The first time that Kurowa Emiko met Hibari Kyoya was on the first day of preschool. Although of course, by all rights they should have met sooner, but this was their first meeting.

Their mothers were great friends, Hibari Akiko and Kurowa Azumi often chatted after work, or spent time together during the weekends. They had been childhood friends, but with the business of marriage had forgotten to introduce their children until they were both three years old.

Kyoya was just about a month older than Emiko, although the two children were far more grown up than the normal three year old, and therefore their age difference did not seem all that prevalent.

Of course, the two mothers regretted not introducing their children now as they stood in front of the Namimori Preschool gate. It really looked like it would take a miracle to get their children to speak to each other.

Kyoya, a stiff, strong willed little black haired boy stood in front of Akiko, and Emiko, a normally friendly little girl, stood awkwardly a few feet away from him.

"Ohayo." She said quietly, her dark blue eyes meeting his steel grey ones evenly in the face.

"Hn." Was his only reply at this attempt to reach out to him. And just for a moment, a bit of hurt flashed across Emiko's face. She had only tried to be friendly. Although...as she assessed the boy in front of her, perhaps he did not agree to friendliness.

Akiko admonished her son gently, trying to get him to understand that 'Hn' was not the proper way to greet someone. Kurowa Azumi simply squeezed her daughter's shoulders, and whispered goodbye.

"I'll pick you up when your finished alright Emi?" She said fondly. Emiko looked up and nodded.

"I'll see you later 'Kaa-san." She said quietly.

A little while after, Akiko left as well after saying goodbye to her son.

The two children were left to their own devices. Both of them did not look at each other at all, and stared determinedly ahead. A little while afterwards they simultaneously began walking, stopped, and began walking again. In the end, they walked side by side into the school building, still not looking at each other.

* * *

In front of the Sawada household, the one year old little Sawada Tsunayoshi was being cradled in the arms of his mother. His father was leaving for work again as Sawada Nana tried to look happy and cheerful. That of course was her usual self, but Iemistu was leaving again, and she was far from overjoyed.

Iemistu however, did not seem to notice her unhappiness and proceeded to tell her how he was 'going off to become a star.' After he disappeared from her sight, Nana walked back into the house, her shoulders hunched. She had no way of knowing when her husband would be back, sometimes it was as little as a week. Other times it was months. Either one left her unsure of where he was or what he was doing.

But she would have to stay strong. For her, as it was only 8:30 in the morning, there was still a long day ahead in an large, empty house with her son whom she adored. She would make sure that Tsuna was loved to the best of her ability. She was young still, and just 21 years old. There was still a lot to do, the breakfast dishes to be washed for one.

* * *

Yamamoto Tsuyoshi held his one year old son, Takeshi, in front of his wife's grave. Yamamoto Kana had been a beautiful woman, but she had died just before Takeshi's first birthday due to cancer.

It was around midmorning, the sky was a little cloudy but it was only in splotches, and the sky was very blue behind the clouds.

"That's your Kaa-san, Takeshi. Say hello?" He said quietly blinking back tears. The death of his wife had been quite recent after all. Even though the years may pass he would never forget her.

He placed a bunch of white lilies in front of her gravestone and just stood there for a while, remembering.

_I promise that our son will be happy Kana. _He vowed before leaving the graveyard. Today, because he had come to visit Kana, he was a bit late in opening his sushi shop. It wouldn't happen tomorrow. Perhaps he would have to get up earlier.

* * *

In the Sasagawa household, two year old little Ryohei watched his little sister Kyoko sleep. His Otou-san had gone to work already while his Okaa-san was cooking lunch in the kitchen.

However he was currently still marveling the perfection known as his younger sister. Kyoko was definitively perfect. Her eyelashes were long and fluttered very peacefully as she slept. Her little fingers and toes were all perfect as well. She was just generally perfect to him.

He was only quiet when one or both of them were sleeping. Currently Kyoko was sleeping, and he was silent, an odd rarity in the Sasagawa household. Indeed, Ryohei was that obsessed with Kyoko.

His mother tiptoed into the room, Kyoko was a light sleeper.

"Ryohei, it's time for lunch." She whispered, and he nodded back. Taking one last adoring look at Kyoko he went to join his mother for lunch.

* * *

**Florence, Italy**

Lavina Gokudera cried silently as she handed her son, Hayato, over to the stern, stiff men who had come to pick him up. Illegitimate children were not allowed in the mafia, and it had been foolhardy for her to believe that she could get away with keeping Hayato. If she wanted him to survive, her only option was to give up her claim to him, and be known as only his piano teacher.

It was a cruel blow, but she was strong enough. He would be happy with his father, that she knew. He would survive. The other option was unthinkable.

She had already decided, and handed her one year old child over to the stone faced men.

_"He'll have the best of care."_

_"I know." _

And little Hayato was taken away from her, and wouldn't be seen again until another year.

* * *

**Headquarters of the Estraneo Family**

The three year old Mukuro Rokudo looked around as he woke up from his nearly dreamless sleep. He had no idea what time it was. It was permanently artificially lit where he was. The cages which housed children just like him were filthy. There were many children here, but he didn't talk to them. He was still permanently traumatized.

At least they had let him keep his sister. As his thoughts went along this thread hatred stirred in his heart. There was no reason for them to do this, to take away their family.

He was sure that something had happened to his parents. They had told him that he wouldn't be taken just the night before everything went black and he woke up here.

It had been a few months since then. He didn't recall the name given to his little sister. In a way he didn't understand how to name a human, so he just rearranged the letters of his name. Kuromu Dokuro. That would do, he thought, it was alright as far as naming went.

He was going to get out of here that much he knew. There just was not enough of a future here, and it was all misery anyway. When he got out they would all pay for his suffering.

He looked down at Kuromu, who he was currently holding. They had been taken, and he was going to get out. She was a little heavy for his three year old arms, even though she was quite thin. Still he refused to put her down.

They would have to be fed at some point. That much he was certain of. They would be fed at some point.

* * *

**A.N.** Please tell me how I am doing. Also this story is strictly AU as some of you may have already noticed. If you start to see any Mary-Sue-ness in Emiko tell me, because that is not the intention of this fic.

Thank you.

Leaf-chan.


	2. Chapter 2

**Namimori, Japan**

**3 Months Later**

The scene that had been seen three months earlier, in front of Namimori preschool was repeating itself so to speak. It was now December, there was a certain frigidness in the cool crisp air. Hibari Kyoya was just as cold as ever.

That is to say he still unrelentingly 'Hn-ed' at everyone/everything who tried to befriend him. At this point Emiko had stopped trying. She retreated back into a shell of shyness created due to the fact that she didn't talk to many people, had never really had to team up or play with other people until she started going to preschool. Not to mention her personality was anything but spontaneous, she sometimes seemed vaguely uneasy.

Everyday, as her Ohayo was greeted the with the same very disinterested 'hn' she had lost nearly all capability of actually speaking to the person in front of her. Who was intimidatingly tall for his age. Not to mention not at all friendly, like Kaa-san or Akiko-san.

It wasn't nice to think such thoughts, so she resolved to push them away. Kaa-san had always said he was wonderful. She would not understand that he was also intimidating not to mention so much taller than Emiko herself who was very short for her age.

"Ohayo." She said the first word she spoke since arriving at preschool. In a way, it was more of a built in polite gesture than a greeting, because she had lost all hope of a response more than a disinterested 'Hn'.

And she did get a response of sorts today. It was a flash of something, in those steely eyes. She took that to be something at least, and bid goodbye to Azumi.

The two children entered the preschool. Emiko hung back just a little bit, falling in step behind Hibari still musing over that flash of something. _What was it?_

* * *

***\-~v~-/***

* * *

She was still musing over it as Masu-sensei called roll. And after while of reading Sensei reading to them on the carpet Emiko realized that it wasn't just her that Hibari avoided, it was everyone. He never really talked to anyone, and he barely talked to Masu-sensei.

A while after she had made this deduction they were set free to the playground. Despite of being in Preschool for three months she had still not really made any friends.

It wasn't to much of a big deal, she preferred to be alone to think. She sat down under a tree, and watched the leaves blow away on the wind. It was a little chilly, but that was alright.

Opening a page in her sketchpad, she began to draw the scene in front of her. It was not the work of a master in the making, but it was better than most children at the age of three. She wasn't paying much attention to the rest of the world and at this point had completely forgotten to continue sketching. Emiko was immersed by the scene of the blowing leaves.

To immersed to truly wonder about what had come over Hibari. Although after a while, the leaves stopped moving, and her thoughts returned back to the tall, intimidating figure who her mother had said was a nice boy. Kaa-san had encouraged her to be friends with him and as she continued to think about it, words floated up to the top of her mind.

Right before the first week of preschool Kaa-san had called her aside.

_"__Do you remember Akiko-san, Emi?" Emiko nodded. Akiko-san was indeed a nice person, of course she remembered Akiko-san. _

_"She has a boy about your age Emi-chan" Here Kaa-san had paused for a moment. "He doesn't have many friends, Akiko-san doesn't want him to be lonely at preschool." _

_Emiko had wondered a little at this point. Did Kaa-san want her to be friends with this boy? _

_"Can you talk to him at least once every day Emi-chan?" Kaa-san had asked. _

_And Emiko had nodded again. She wouldn't disappoint Kaa-san._

* * *

***\-~v~-/***

* * *

Emiko got up from her position underneath the tree. She just remembered that promise she made with Kaa-san. Although she had already talked to Hibari once today, it was just one word. Kaa-san must have expected more from her.

Where was Hibari anyway? With her promise in mind, she had all but forgotten the strange look that Hibari had had in his eyes. She scanned the play area. He was sitting on the ground, far away from the others and facing away. After a moment of hesitation, she began to walk towards him.

It was only when she got about 3 feet away from him that she realized she didn't know what to say.

"Hibari..." He didn't even bother to turn around, he was still sitting in the same position. Thankfully she was taller than him when he was sitting down. It didn't make him any less intimidating and different from other preschoolers though.

"When did you first meet Kaa-san?" It was the only question she could think of. She didn't prefer to talk to people, it was hard and she wasn't the type of person who could go on talking forever. If the other person didn't put effort into it, and even sometimes when they did, the conversation stalled.

"Hn." was the reply that she got back. It was a little odd, but at least he had recognized that she existed. It was a start, and Kaa-san would be pleased. Perhaps even happy.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" she asked, it was getting so hard to stand here and stare at his back. Inwardly she cursed herself for not even having the confidence to walk around him so she could see his face. But eyes had always been hard, seeing other people's expressions were hard as well.

"Hn." It was 'Hn' again, but it wasn't no. She sat down where she had been standing, around 3 feet away and took out her sketchpad again. She started to draw the clouds above them, in a way, Hibari reminded her of a cloud. A free entity that traveled across the sky.

Freedom was important after all.

* * *

***\-~v~-/***

* * *

Masu-sensei watched the children in her class on the playground. As she noticed the Hibari boy had company, she smiled a little inwardly. Perhaps he could be brought out of his shell.

He had not spoken much during the three months she had taught him here at preschool. Oh yes, he was very well behaved, but he seemed to push people away from him. It was as if he didn't want to talk to people. He had not talked to her since the first day of school.

Masu-sensei had been worried for him. He so rarely interacted with others his own age, and he was very quiet. He was distancing himself from the other students. It was nice that someone was close to him even if they did not talk much. It was a start, and perhaps he would accept other people.

And it was then that Masu-sensei noticed who Hibari-kun's company was. Was it...Emiko-chan? There was a slight furrow in the young preschool teachers brow now. The girl looked far too small to be 3 years old, and yet her eyes looked very old much older than three.

But then so did Hibari-kun, they both acted older than three. Emiko-chan had also not made many friends here in preschool. While the others laughed and played with whomever, she walked out to the play area every morning, and sat down underneath a tree with a sketchpad.

She didn't push people away like Hibari-kun, just, she also didn't say much. Perhaps she was shy, mused Masu-sensei. It was alright, she would gain friends as she grew older and more confident. With that train of thought ended, the young teacher turned back to her other pupils.

Oh how she loved children, they were all so wonderful. And how she loved teaching, even though she didn't teach them what others deemed as very important, she still felt that she molded them in a critical stage of development.

She shaped how they would act socially. She taught them core values. And she loved it all. It was so exciting for her and there her train of thought ended, with the end of play time outside.

Masu-sensei brought them all in for snack time, and then forgot about the matter again.

* * *

***\-~v~-/***

* * *

Emiko was picked up at around 4 in the afternoon, quietly walking back to her house with Azumi. Her father was not home yet. He would be though. Kurowa Shirashi was different.

He was not the typical father, because he was not the typical man. Yes, he was a very loving father, and a very loving husband. But he was extremely atypical. No normal father did what he did.

There was danger all around this little three person family. They were the picture perfect family on the outside, yes, and so were the Hibaris, but picture perfect is not the same as normal. In fact, picture perfect families are generally very abnormal. That was not to say that they were not a good family, but it did mean that they had secrets that no normal people have.

* * *

A.N. I'm sorry for not updating in such a long time! But I was busy, and I have midterms next week, should be studying, cough cough, so I won't get much done at all about the next chapter. But I shall try to get it up the week after next, you can see if I have any success or not.

It will be quite a while before I write out what the secret is, but I'm sure it can be guessed. As always, reviews are appreciated, and critiques are wonderful. Please inform me if you find any Mary-Sue-ness in Emiko ASAP.


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